Jude Bellingham looked like he can fulfil all that talent, but Thomas Tuchel has already fulfilled one promise. The England manager had promised that an occasion like this World Cup 2026 match would “bring out the best in us”, but it may have done even more than that.
It may well have been the country’s best spell of tournament football in decades, and perhaps the most convincing victory in some time. The game ended up 4-2, but it could genuinely have been 7-2 from the 10-minute spell after half-time alone. Croatia barely knew where to turn, let alone where to look.
